Victor J. Glover

Victor J. Glover – Life, Career, and Notes

Full Name
Victor Jerome Glover, Jr.

Born
April 30, 1976, in Pomona, California, U.S.

Early Life & Education

• Glover grew up in Pomona, California and attended Ontario High School, graduating in 1994.

• He earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1999.

• He later obtained advanced education:
   • Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering via the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School  • Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School  • Master of Military Operational Art and Science from Air University

• He also holds a certificate in space systems and a certificate in legislative studies from Georgetown University.

Military & Flight Career

• Glover was commissioned into the U.S. Navy in 1999, became a naval aviator in 2001, and flew the F/A-18 series of aircraft.

• He served deployments including aboard aircraft carriers, participated in combat missions, and later was selected to test pilot training (via the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School) and weapons systems test tours.

• Over his career, Glover accumulated over 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft, performed 400+ arrested landings on carriers, and flew in 24 combat missions.

NASA Career & Space Missions

• Glover was selected as an astronaut in 2013 as part of NASA Astronaut Group 21 while serving previously as a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate staff.

• He was assigned as pilot on the SpaceX Crew-1 mission (on the Crew Dragon Resilience)—the first operational crewed flight under NASA’s Commercial Crew program—to the International Space Station (ISS).

• During that mission, he served on Expedition 64 and Expedition 65 aboard the ISS.

• Glover performed extravehicular activities (EVAs / spacewalks), including upgrades to station modules and external repairs.

• In April 2023, NASA announced Glover as pilot of Artemis II, the first crewed lunar flyby mission in the Artemis program.

• If successful, this mission will make him among the first people of color to fly beyond low Earth orbit under a U.S. mission.

Distinctions & Milestones

• Glover became the first African American astronaut to remain on the ISS for a long-duration mission (i.e., not just a brief shuttle stay).

• He has been widely recognized for bridging technical excellence and representation in space exploration.